There’s no shortage of restaurants wanting to recruit top-notch employees. From waitstaff to those in the back of the house, you’re up against so much competition that you really need to stand out in order to have a shot at recruiting the best quality staff. To weed out the best of the best, start at the beginning: At the job description itself.
The best job postings are thoroughly accurate and very transparent. Lay out a clear explanation of your core values and give a realistic view of the workplace. This means getting specific: Long postings may seem like a detriment, a test against short attention spans, but really they help you rule out employees who wouldn’t fit your workplace before you, or they, waste time on applications and interviews. It also garners you strong staff members who will stick around for longer.
Core Values
Your values determine who will be a “good fit.” It’s a more subjective metric than deciding based on experience but just as vital a piece of the puzzle. Determining who will fit best with your management style helps long-term employee retention. If you’re honest and open with potential employees from the off, you have a better chance of recruiting people who want to stick around.
Your core values are your principles, standards and beliefs about how to run the business. Theyre different from your mission statement, which lays out the goals you aim to meet; instead, core values are how you want employees and the community at large to feel about the methods used to achieve these ends. Core values rank among the top five most important factors for those on the job market now, which is why recruiting campaigns are so important for bringing in the best of the best.
How can you determine your core values? If you haven’t already established some, now’s the perfect time. Ask yourself about the best employee-manager relationship you have and what makes it so great, and why they feel the same about you. How do you support those workers and foster a good environment for growth? Distill these qualities into a few words or phrases and convey that to potential new recruits. For example, diversity and equality are very important values to boast about. Being an equal opportunity employer attracts good staff.
Job Descriptions
Now that you have the right idea, you need to actually write up the descriptions themselves. Use those core values as a jumping off point to express how, specifically, you plan to achieve words like “unity” and “honesty.” Be direct and informative, but conversational and casual too if that tone is reflective of your workplace.
How should you structure the posting?
Important details first. Put information about pay and expected hours at the top so employees can quickly assess jobs, and don’t waste time filling out applications for positions that won’t fitand you don’t waste time interviewing candidates who won’t accept, either.
Describe the restaurant itself. What makes you unique? What aspects of the business can they proudly represent if they’re taken on? Write about anything from management to product, whether youre woman-led or proud of your favorite house brew.
Describe the team. Potential employees will want to know how they fit into the fabric of the current team dynamic. What are your current staff like? How do they work together? Even a small introduction can give new hires an idea of what they’re walking into so they don’t end up in an unexpectedly untenable environment.
Describe the role itself. Here goes all the tasks theyll do on the job. Be thorough with this list of responsibilities so they understand exactly what they’re getting into, and won’t find any surprises on the first day.
Perks. What are the benefits of taking this particular job over similar positions at other restaurants? Do they get healthcare, opportunities or particularly good pay that should sway them to you over the competition? Keep this section short, sweet and to the point.
Expectations. What do you expect from those who hold this role other than the day-to-day tasks involved? Here’s where you can explain what you want in terms of a candidates availability, attitude, experience and skills.
It takes time to create a job posting that properly demonstrates your core values, but its ultimately what builds the most successful and capable team possible. Attracting a good team from the outset results in lower turnover which saves a lot of money in recruitment and training, so you can understand the vitality there.
High-quality candidates join high-quality establishments, which is why the initial job posting is the perfect place to begin distinguishing yourself from the outset. Writing detailed, clear but exciting, and value-driven job descriptions will highlight why your restaurant is the best fit for those particular candidates that you actually want. Of course, it’s equally important to actually provide the promised culture or environment so as to retain those employees you worked so hard to gain. The job posting is the first introduction that new employees have to your restaurant, so make it a good impression.
